Assault at the crooked spire

A booze-fuelled man pushed a woman over in Chesterfield’s Crooked Spire churchyard during a dispute after she claimed she had been insulted about her homosexuality.

Chesterfield magistrates’ court heard on Monday, March 3, how Marcin Pitor Kasinki, 31, had been in the churchyard with two other Polish men when the woman claimed someone had been shouting abuse at her.

Prosecuting solicitor Bill Taylor explained that when the woman went to remonstrate with the men Kasinki shoved her and she fell backwards.

Mr Taylor said: “The woman is in a relationship with another woman and her account of events is that she saw three men nearby and someone was shouting abuse at her which she took to be regarding her sexuality.

“She went to approach one of the men and made it clear she took exception to what was being said. She said Kasinki started dancing around her and eventually she said he shoved her hard in the chest and she fell backwards.”

Mr Taylor conceded Kasinki is not homophobic and he had been affected by alcohol and despite the woman suffering a black-out after the push there was no direct causal link from the shove.

Jobless Kasinki, of Bury Road, Bolton, pleaded guilty to assault by beating after the incident in July, last year.

Defence solicitor John Richards said Kasinki overheard an altercation and he foolishly got involved and the woman became aggressive.

Mr Richards added Kasinki backed away but in the heat and the drink he did star-jumps in front of her and when someone hit him he engaged in a row and pushed her.

Magistrates sentenced Kasinki to a £100 fine and ordered him to pay £130 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.